Only 3 Korean universities in global top 100 as Asian rivals gain

Yonsei University rose six places from last year to rank 50th in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. /Courtesy of Yonsei University

South Korean universities are falling behind in global rankings while institutions in China, Hong Kong, and Singapore continue to make gains.

Only three Korean universities made it to the top 100 in the latest global rankings released by U.K. firm Quacquarelli Symonds on June 18, down two from last year. Seoul National University ranked 38th, Yonsei University 50th, and Korea University 61st. In comparison, China placed 10 universities in the top 100, including five from Hong Kong, while Japan had four. Experts warn South Korea may be losing its competitive edge as fewer Korean universities improved their rankings compared to those in China, Taiwan, and India.

The 2026 QS World University Rankings evaluated over 5,000 universities worldwide across nine indicators, ranking the top 1,500. South Korea had 43 universities on the list, the fourth-highest among Asian countries after China (81), India (54), and Japan (47).

Seoul National University, South Korea’s top-ranked school, fell seven places from last year. Despite strong results in employment outcomes (sixth) and academic reputation (20th), it scored poorly in internationalization, ranking 801st in foreign faculty ratio and 622nd in foreign student ratio.

Yonsei University, which entered the top 50 for the first time, performed best among Korean universities in attracting international students and building global research networks. It also maintained its position as Asia’s top-ranked private university for the fourth straight year.

Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) ranked highest among Korean schools in student-to-faculty ratio (27th), while Hankuk University of Foreign Studies led in foreign faculty ratio (498th). But overall, most top Korean universities declined. Science and technology-focused schools such as POSTECH, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) all saw noticeable drops, mainly due to lower scores in employer reputation and faculty diversity.

Among South Korea’s 43 ranked universities, only 16 improved their standing. One new university, Tongmyong University, joined the rankings this year.

Meanwhile, Asian rivals continue to surge. China’s Fudan University, which specializes in biomedical research, climbed nine spots to 30th, overtaking Seoul National University. Tsinghua University rose to 17th, and Peking University held steady at 14th.

Chinese universities showed strong overall performance, with 47% improving their ranks from last year. Malaysia (59%), Taiwan (51%), and India (40%) also saw high percentages of schools gaining ground.

Singapore continued its momentum. The National University of Singapore remained Asia’s top-ranked institution at eighth globally, securing a top 10 spot for the third year in a row. Nanyang Technological University followed closely at 12th, boosted by its strength in artificial intelligence and robotics.

Much of Asia’s rise was driven by improvements in research performance. In the key metric of faculty research impact, measured by citations per paper, Chinese universities took 23 of the top 50 spots—nearly three times more than the U.S. Eleven Chinese institutions, including Central South University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, outscored Stanford in this category.

“Despite China’s economic slowdown, the country increased national R&D investment by more than 8% last year, far outpacing the U.S. and Europe,” said one science policy expert. “That investment is now translating into global recognition for Chinese universities.”